Who Needs Clothes Anyways?
by Darth Tromeros
Summary: Han says something to Leia that makes him feel so bad he comes up with a very interesting apology. Set between ANH and ESB. Sorry it's so short and bad. I just really needed to write a story for my OTP that I've neglected for six months.


He sat up from his previous slumped position, taking his feet off the dashboard of the _Falcon_. Temper cooling down, he thought over his fight with Leia.

It wasn't like their normal fight where it was one sarcastic thing yelled after another. He had been genuinely angry at her. She had something—oh gods, what had she said?—and he lost it.

But what bothered him most were the things he said.

He called her a name. A name he would never dare call Leia—or a woman ever, to be honest. When the word came out of his mouth, the look she gave him killed him on the inside. It was a look of shock, one that completely wiped away all previous sarcasm and feelings that later the argument would make the smile. She didn't say anything; she just stared, hurt, and then ran away. Guilt filled him thinking about it.

Sighing, he got out of his chair. "Leia," he called, one hand around his belt as he headed down the hallway. No answer. He started feeling anxious. He hoped she hadn't run off. Nothing would be worse than her hating him after all they've been through. He had to admit that he might actually… love her. What if she never loved him back because of this or anything he did?

Shaking the thought away, he called again, "Leia!"

The ship was unusually quiet. Chewbacca was off doing something that Han had forgotten about with 3PO accompanying him (that poor Wookie, Han noted), and Luke was doing whatever wannabe-Jedis did. The fact that he hadn't been able to find a trace of Leia bothered him.

Once more he yelled, "Leia!"

At that moment, he was walking by the living quarters when he heard soft crying. He turned to see her small frame sitting on the bed, hair undone and draped around her face. Sympathy filled him. "Hey, Princess."

"Go away," she said after a pause.

He sat down by her. "Hey, I just want to talk." He put an arm around her.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, throwing an angry glance at him. Her eyes were swollen and her face was stained with tears.

"Leia, can we please talk about this?"

"Why? So you can insult me again?" She started crying again, hiding her face behind her hair.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "Sweetheart, I apologize with all my heart," he said. "I never, ever dreamed of calling you that. I've been so stressed though and I was so mad that it just slipped."

"Things don't just slip," she started, pulling away. "You thought it, you said it, you meant it. Now go away." She looked away.

Standing up, he didn't say anything; he just left. She sat there on the bed, not sure what to think. That's not what she thought he would do. She thought he would still try to convince her he really was sorry; but she was silly for thinking such a thing.

A few minutes later he was back.

"Leia, can I show you something?"

She grudgingly looked up to see him taking off his vest and throwing it on the floor. "What are you doing?"

"In order to show my sincerity," he said, taking his blaster out of its holster and dropping it onto the discarded vest, "I will now demonstrate going only in my boxers for the rest of the day—in public and everything."

"Why would you do such a stupid thing?" she asked, watching with interest as he tore his shirt off.

He approached her, sitting on the bed next to her. "I know that name is embarrassing and mean and awful," he started, taking his boots off next. "So I will receive the same humiliation by walking around for the rest of the day only in my boxers."

"Mon Martha is going to hate you even more, you know," she said, her tears drying.

"To hell with what Mon Martha thinks. I'm doing this for the prettiest girl in the galaxy."

Leia tried to hide her embarrassed smile.

"But why would you do this? This whole thing was dumb and it's not like anyone cares anyways," she added.

"No one cares?" Han started, standing up as he pulled down his pants. "No one cares? Why, your Highness, I care. I care enough to walk around almost nude in front of everyone, including military officials. I care enough that I was worried over what you thought of me. I mean, Leia, I might even love you."

"What?"

He stopped suddenly. "What?" he said, imitating her.

"What was that last thing?"

"What last thing?"

"The last thing you just said.'

"Um… I'm not quite sure what you're talking about."

She sighed angrily. "You said something about loving me?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Forget it," she huffed.

He saluted her as he started walking out of the room.

"You're so irritating!" she exclaimed.

He smirked. "See ya, Princess."

Leia waited until he heard him leave the ship before running to the cockpit to see him come into view.

Mon Martha was there as well. She laughed as she saw the look on her face and Han wave his arms shamelessly.

"Apology accepted, Han," she murmured.


End file.
